Sunday, July 20, 2008

BURghul not bulgur!

"Bulgur

What it is: Bulgur is not actually a plant — it's a Middle Eastern way of preparing wheat that maintains almost all the bran and germ of the wheat kernel, which is why it's considered a whole grain.

Texture: Pleasant. Soft without being mushy.

Tastes like: Bulgur has a mild, nutty flavor somewhat between white rice and brown rice. It's a great "starter grain" for people just branching out beyond refined grains.

Nutritional information: (1 cup cooked) 151 calories, 0.44g fat, 33.82g carbs, 8.2g dietary fiber, 5.61g protein.

Health perks: The fiber is off the charts: 33 percent of the daily value, making it an excellent source. There are also 98 micrograms of lutein, plus zeaxanthin (important for eye health).

Best served or cooked with: "Fine grains are used in such dishes as kibbe, which is a mixture of bulgur and meat or poultry. The fine grains do well in dishes with meats because they adhere well to the meat. Medium-size grains are used for various salads and in making tabbouleh. The third size, which is coarser and larger, is best used in pilafs," says Dr. Michael D. Ozner, author of "The Miami Mediterranean Diet" (BenBella Books, 2008)." (Seatle Times)

1 comment:

Leila Abu-Saba said...

Yes in the West they know it as bulgar or bulgur - perhaps this was the Turkish spelling/pronunciation?

There's a new blog out called the Bulgar Bugle:

http://www.bulgarbugle.com/

"Supporting the sustainable, just and frugal kitchen."

My cousin gave me a recipe for burghul and tomatoes which she got from our grandmother. I posted it here:

http://bedouina.typepad.com/doves_eye/2008/04/sittehs-recipe.html

Oh, look, I spelled it bulghur. Argh. I will have to add "tags" to the post saying burghul... But if I don't spell it the western way, I won't get any hits from search engines....